Eurasianism and the Concept of Central Caucaso-Asia

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Eldar Ismailov and Vladimer Papava
the sine qua non of maximizing positive effects both for the energy resource
exporter and importer countries and for the transit states. However, this will
only be realized when principles of mutual complementariness and the
awareness for cushioning risks of these existing resource transportation
routes prevail over the attempts to find alternatives to these routes. 209
Implementing principles of cooperation and partnership among the countries
of the region could ensure that their interests are taken into account.
Unfortunately, understanding these principles and pursuing them in practice
is more difficult for the Russian side. 210 Russia, being guided by a so-called
“energy egoism,” a component of the traditional Russian nationalist view of
the world, 211 is trying in every way possible to dominate the Caspian basin. 212
According to Russian experts, Iran and Armenia are Russia’s strategic
partners in their opposition to building the Europe-Caucasus-Asia corridor. 213
In addition to this, both Russian 214 and Iranian 215 experts emphasize that some
209 Vladimer Papava and Michael Tokmazishvili, “Pipeline Harmonization Instead of
Alternative Pipelines: Why the Pipeline ‘Cold War’ Needs to End,” Azerbaijan in the
World, Vol. I, No. 10, June 15 (2008), .
210 For example, Vladimer Papava, “Strategic Economic Partnership in Caucasus,”
Caucasica. The Journal of Caucasian Studies, Vol. 2 (1998), pp. 189-197; Vladimer Papava
and Nino Gogatadze, “Prospects for Foreign Investments and Strategic Economic
Partnership in the Caucasus,” Problems of Economic Transition, Vol. 41, No. 5 (1998), pp.
79-88; Natalia V. Zubarevich and Yuri E. Fedorov, “Russian-Southern Economic
Interaction: Partners or Competitors?” in Rajan Menon, Yuri E. Fedorov, and Ghia
Nodia, eds., Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia: The 21st Century Security Environment
(Armonk: M.E. Sharpe, 1999), pp. 119-144.
211 Milov, Russia and the West, p. 18.
212 For example, Sergei Blagov, “Russia: Moscow Seeks Improved Ties with Caspian
Basin Neighbors,” Eurasia Insight. Eurasianet, October 9, 2008, .
213 For example, V.S. Zagashvili, “Neft’, transportnaia politika, interesy Rossii” [Oil,
Transportation Policy, Russia’s Interests], in R.M. Avakov and A.G. Lisov, eds., Rossia
i Zakavkazie: realii nezavisimosti i novoe partnerstvo [Russia and the Transcaucasus:
Realities of Independence and New Partnership] (Moscow: Finstatinform Publishers,
2000), p. 188.
214 For example, Gajiev, Geopolitika Kavkaza, pp. 432, 434-439; D.B. Malysheva, “Turtsia
i Iran: Zakavkazie—ob’ekt starogo sopernichestva” [Turkey and Iran: the
Transcaucasus—a Target of Old Rivalry], in Rossia i Zakavkazie: realii nezavisimosti i
novoe partnerstvo, pp. 63-74.
215 For example, Abbas Maleki, “Does the Caspian Remain Important to All Actors?”
Amu Darya. The Iranian Journal of Central Asian Studies, Vol. 8, No. 16 & 17 (2003/2004),
pp. 47-76.